Four Steps to Freedom From Paper Clutter
By: Monica Ricci
Information is power. But unless you can find the information
you need at the moment you need it, you're powerless.
Consider all the books, magazines and articles you save. You
may be saving them "to get around to reading", or if
you've read them, you are afraid to throw them away "just
in case" you'll need to access the information again. They
pile up higher and higher and if you have a system of organizing
your saved information so you can locate it when you need it,
great! If not, the following questions will give you some perspective
on it and will help you part with a lot of it:
1. What good is information if it is lost in piles? Either organize
it into a good workable system or toss it out.
2. Could you find the same information at the library or on
the internet? If so, feel confident tossing it out.
3. Does the information you save quickly become outdated? If
so, you're wasting your space by saving old publications or articles.
Rely on the internet for the most current versions.
4. Will you ever really get around to reading all the things
you save to read? And if you don't, will it really matter in
the grand scheme of things where you can find information in
an instant on the net? If no, toss it out.
Ask yourself these four questions the next time you catch yourself
stacking a magazine on a pile "to read later." You'll
never have to deal with the big pile-up again.
Monica Ricci is the founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions
in Atlanta, GA. She speaks to groups and companies about the
benefits of choosing a simpler life and how to cut the chaos.
She is president of the Georgia chapter of the National Association
of Professional Organizers. Contact Monica at: 770-416-6613
or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com
